What? No Horns?

It is a myth that viking wore helmets with horns on them. The few helmets that did survive from the viking age do not have horns. Also any depictions from that time do not show the vikings with horned helmets. It is more likely that this was believed to make the vikings seem more savage.

The christian influence in Europe most likely did this to make the vikings appear more pagan to others and more like barbarians. Another explanation is that because the Norse God Thor had a winged helmet that others mistook these for horns. There are many other other possible solutions for depicting vikings in horned helmets.

The Vikings did not wear helmets that had large horns on them. The helmets that they wore were simpler, made out of iron. The idea that Vikings wore helmets with horns or wings on them was made popular in the 19th century.

If a helmet from that time did have horned I think they would be bull horns. This would be more likely because they look the more similar to artist depictions than other types of horns that belong to animals from Europe.

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Welcome to the West Civ Proj!
This is a blog written and edited by the 9th grade Honors West Civ class at the John Carroll School in Bel Air, MD. We hope you enjoy our blog and we look forward sharing ideas and opinions with you! We love comments and we look forward to having a conversation about history... a conversation that includes all of you!